Disney Challenge
by FatesMistake
Summary: I said I would, and I have. These are the three one-shots I wrote in response to my own disney challenge. Now, I know I said they were to be songfics, but I don't go in with that whole 'songfics must have the lyrics in them' thing, since I feel a songfic could just be heavily influenced by a song. However, for the sticklers, one of them has the lyrics in it. SS/HP, EWE Rated T jic.
1. Beauty and the Beast

Harry groaned when Albus announced this year's ball. The bet was lain, now, and he could only hope that he knew his students as well as he thought. He watched the reactions in the Great Hall, and allowed a blossom of hope to spread in his chest as the reactions followed his and Snape's predictions. Finally, the Headmaster began to announce the special conditions that would determine the winner of the bet.

"As a result of the last few years, this ball will be slightly different from the rest, as you will not be allowed to pick your own partners. For the last several years, I have noticed that the students tend to group amongst themselves, and it pains me to see such a social event marred by house rivalry. And so, the professors and I have paired you all together based on our personal observations, and while I will not require you to spend the entire evening with your assigned date, you will be required to share one dance with your partner in the course of the night. If you decide not to follow these instructions, then you are not to be allowed to attend the ball. If you do, however, attend the ball, then any who do not adhere to the simple rule that you share one dance with your partner will be given detention," Albus said with finality. The Great Hall erupted with anger, much as it had done those many years ago when he'd said no one under 17 could participate in the Triwizard Tournament. Harry exchanged a look with the Potions Master, who smirked back over his tea; the prospect looked good for their end of the bet winning out. He turned back when the students quieted all of a sudden, Dumbledore's hand in the air calling for their silence. "If you, the students, are able to prove that House rivalry is not everything, and that you are capable of behaving as we, your teachers, know that you can, as young adults, then you will be rewarded. Professor's Potter and Snape have both agreed to dance the first dance of the evening, together, to prove that it truly is possible to set your differences aside." Harry swung his head around so quickly it nearly gave him whiplash, glaring at the Headmaster in shock and dismay. Snape seemed to share his sentiment, as he was glaring daggers at the manipulative old wizard as well. Albus continued as if he hadn't seen them. "If you find this prospect enough to follow this old man's simple wish of seeing you students get along for just a night, then open the envelopes under your plates and move to sit with your assigned partners."

Harry looked out over the student tables anxiously, chewing on his lower lip and waiting for the cries of outrage. No one in the Hall moved, nor even dared to breathe, as each student digested the name on the cards they'd been given. For several minutes, nothing happened, the students studying their cards and those of their friends. Finally, one brave Seventh year Gryffindor stood and started to make his way over to Slytherin, the Hall watching his progress intensely, holding a collective breath. When he had reached his destination, he located the owner of the name on his place card and walked over to the girl, offering his hand. Hesitantly, distrusting, the girl took the proffered appendage, and he sat beside her on the bench. Harry shot a horrified look at his colleague as the rest of the Fourth through Seventh Year students took this as a sign and stood to find their own partners. When the students had settled at the different tables, crests ranging at each table so much that if a stranger walked in they would never know that each table belonged to a different House, Albus retook his seat. The Headmaster looked at the Potions and Defense Master's with a smirk, Minerva looking between the two sides uncomfortably.

"I look forward to your performance, my boys."

Harry heard Snape growl beside him, even as he frowned angrily himself. He had a feeling that he and Severus were _both_ going to pay a visit to the Headmaster's office following dinner. In the meantime, he returned to his dinner, watching the Great Hall carefully and waiting for hell to break loose. Surprisingly, the students seemed to agree with Dumbledore's request that they at least try and get along, because not a single fight broke out.

SSHPSSHPSSHP

"You cheated, Albus, the bet is off!" Snape shouted angrily.

"You never said I couldn't-"

"It doesn't matter," Harry broke in, just as angry as his companion. "We said you could give the students an incentive, but we never agreed to dance the first dance of the evening!"

"That was your end of the bargain, Harry," Albus said calmly.

"If we _lost_ the bet, Albus! You told the students we would be doing it period! Even if only half of the students had gone along with your ridiculous plan, we still would have had to do it because they were expecting it and we had become the example!" The Potions Master snarled.

Harry groaned for the third time that night as the Headmaster's eyes twinkled mischievously. "We still are," He said softly, rubbing his forehead as he felt a headache start just behind his eyes. Snape rounded on him.

"I am aware, _Potter_," He spat. "But I refuse to go through with it, as Albus cheated and our differences are too great to be set aside as such!" He turned back to continue arguing with the Headmaster.

"My boys, you made a deal. Do you now claim that you will not honor the bet?"

"There is nothing to honor! You forfeited the bet when-"

"We'll do it," Harry murmured, his soft voice cutting off the Potions Master. He caught the Potion Master's surprised glare before the man stomped off in a swirl of cloth and a rumbling mutter about spineless Gryffindors. Harry rolled his eyes and took off after his dramatic colleague. Despite his quick pace, he only caught up to the Potions Master in a little used corridor three floors down. "Snape, wait."

The man rounded on him. "I have nothing to say to you, Potter." He started to turn back, but Harry grabbed his arm.

"You can't seriously think I'm doing this to please Albus, Snape," The Defense Master demanded, keeping the man from walking away by tightening his grip. "We can find some way of getting revenge on him for cheating the bet later, but the fact is we are professor's at this school, and we have to set the example."

Snape wrenched his arm free and continued down the corridor. "Keep your damned hands off of me, Potter. You can tell the students I have fallen suddenly ill for all I care; I will not dance with you!"

SSHP

The next week was spent with Harry angry with Snape, still planning to attend the ball with or without his dance partner. Twice, Snape had confronted him about his attitude, and at the end of the second, Harry had demanded why the man cared if he was pissed, since Harry's feelings obviously meant little if Snape was so willing to throw him under the bus at the ball. The Potions Master had growled in frustration and stomped off, nothing resolved.

_Barely even friends._

Harry stood at the bottom of the Grand Staircase, keeping an eye on the students to be sure nothing untoward occurred before they even made it into the Great Hall. He didn't know why he was so angry with Snape, they were hardly colleagues, and he shouldn't expect anything better from the absolutely selfish, stupid-

The Defense Master cut off his internal diatribe, seeing that several of the students had begun giving him a wide berth the angrier he got. He took a deep breath as the last of the mass crowd trickled into the Great Hall, and followed the students in, gliding past them all without a word to join his fellow teachers. Several of his students over the course of the week had asked him what he would do if the Potions Master didn't show, or refused to dance, and he looked to the same students now, who were explaining to anyone within ear shot that he planned to dance alone. He allowed himself a moment of self-pity, certain that he looked utterly rejected, whilst the Headmaster welcomed everyone to the gala and announced the start of the ball. After several long minutes, the time came for his and Severus' dance, and he moved into the center of the designated dance floor alone, holding his head high. He would not allow the students to see how ashamed and embarrassed he felt, no matter how stupid he was sure he looked.

The music started and Harry spared a glare for the Headmaster before moving into a slow waltz, holding his arms up as though he were being held by an invisible partner. He continued through the movements for nearly a minute, waiting for the first burst of laughter from his students, though it never came. He chanced a glance around the room as his imaginary partner spun him, and saw that a few of the students, from all four of the houses, had begun dancing alone as well. When he spun back into the turn, he met a solid chest, and gave into a moment of stunned surprise before he was led further into the dance. He looked up into unreadable, but soft, black eyes.

"You came." He murmured.

_Then somebody bends_

_Unexpectedly_

Snape tilted his head ever so slightly in a nod as they continued through the motions of the dance. "I am sorry, Potter, I allowed my pride to rule my decisions. The fact is, I was embarrassed. It has been many years since last I danced, especially with a partner, and I was afraid to look foolish. I was prepared for Albus to lose the bet, not for this."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "I know how you feel, I was scared of making an ass of myself as well, and totally unprepared for that stunt that Albus pulled."

_Both a little scared_

_Neither one prepared_

They moved together with sure, practiced steps, never stumbling or slowing as the music continued, the students joining them on the dance floor. "I'm glad that we've proven the students can put aside their differences," Harry murmured, glancing at the couples around them.

"I'm glad we've proven that we can as well, despite what I said," Snape murmured.

Harry moved his eyes back to stare into the onyx orbs, struggling to define the emotion he saw there. "Me, too."

_Finding you can change_

_Learning you were wrong_

They danced, the world around them disappearing as they stared into one another's eyes. As the song crescendo'd and moved into its final notes, Snape spun them with a flourish. As the final note held, he dipped Harry slightly, just enough that his head tipped back, then slowly raised him back into his arms. The two professor's, adversaries for so long, stood in their own world, deaf to the cacophonous applause from those in the Great Hall. As if it had been written in the stars long ago, they both leant forward simultaneously and, before either could realize what was happening, sealed the dance with a kiss. Harry waited for Snape to regret the action, to pull away in disgust, but after a long moment where neither showed any sign of giving in, they both melted into the kiss as if it were exactly where they were meant to be.

_Tale as old as time_

_Song as old as rhyme_

_Beauty and the Beast_


	2. Won't Say I'm in Love

"Alright, Snape, do you think I could get those-" Harry trailed off with a groan that earned him a curious glance from the Potions Master. "Hermione, what are you doing here?" He let the parchment he'd been studying drop to his side in exasperation.

The History of Magic professor looked at him innocently. "What do you mean, Harry? Severus and I were just having a nice conversation."

Harry glared at his best friend. "No, you were supposed to be organizing your notes so that we could discuss them before the next staff meeting. We talked about it an hour ago and you said you'd spend all day working on it since you'd put it off for so long, remember?" He growled, seeing the hand the girl had put on Snape's arm.

"Oh, it must have slipped my mind," Hermione told him sweetly. She started as if something had just occurred to her. "But since I have you both here, I-"

"I'm leaving now," Harry interrupted, turning back to the door. "See if you can get those student reports on my desk by Friday, Snape, so I can wheedle it down some before we make our final decision." With that, he walked out of the Potions Master's office. He made it about halfway down the corridor before the soft patter of Hermione's running footsteps caught up.

"One of these days, I'm going to get you together, and we're going to discuss this mysterious tension between you two," Hermione huffed, brushing her hair off of her face.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose in aggravation. "There is no tension, 'Mione, because I'm not in love with him. Leave off, will you? It doesn't matter how many times you get us into a room together, I'm never going to spout feelings that simply don't exist."

The girl huffed in annoyance and pushed past him, stomping down the empty corridor as if she'd been personally slighted. When he was sure she was gone, Harry ducked into the nearest empty classroom and leaned against the door, taking a deep breath. It was a hell of a lot easier to lie to Hermione than it was to himself. He wouldn't dare admit, even to himself, that he felt anything so deep as love for Severus, but even he wasn't so stupid as to not see how he reacted around the man. For months now, he'd noticed a possessive tightness in his chest whenever someone behaved even slightly intimate with the man, and he was constantly stumbling over himself and his words whenever he knew Snape was around. He wasn't stupid, he knew he had some amount of feelings for the man, but he also knew that even _thinking_ about entertaining those feelings wasn't worth the aggravation. He'd thought himself in love with Ginny, and look how well that had turned out. She was married, and he was as alone as ever. Besides, it was Snape; the mere thought of telling the man how he felt would be the worst judgment call of the century.

SSHP

Draco looked up as Harry entered his office a few days later. "I'm going to murder your wife if she keeps pushing this 'love' bullshit." The Wizarding Savior growled. "I swear, she and Hermione made it up just to have something to gossip about."

Draco chuckled at him, and Harry glared, flopping into the seat across the desk. "You know how Gin gets once she has an idea in her head. And besides, it's not like they're wrong. I've seen you zone out more than once at meals and staff meetings, and I've got a pretty good idea who you're thinking of."

Harry let out a frustrated _whoosh_ of air. "Merlin, not you as well. Did everyone take a stupid pill? I am not in love!" He stood angrily. "I need your reports by Friday, you've had weeks to get it done." He left the Care of Magical Creatures professor alone without waiting for a response.

SSHP

The walk to Hogsmeade had been good for clearing his head, but had left Harry starving. He couldn't understand why his friends were so convinced he had feelings for Snape, and had to _tell_ the man. The Defense Master found himself outside of Weasley Wizard Wheezes and decided to stop in for a normal chat and maybe a snack (the twins had long since promised to stop spiking his food, and so far had held to it). He walked into the mostly empty shop and was greeted warmly by the proprietors.

"How's it going, Harry?"

"Any progress on your plans for next weekend?"

"Or admitting your feelings for Hogwarts one and only Potions Master?"

Harry rolled his eyes and decided he'd find better food and conversation at the Three Broomsticks, retreating quickly.

SSHP

Harry walked tiredly into his quarters. His day had been exhausting, but satisfying, as the culmination of the last several weeks work proved to be worth every second of agonizing organization. The teachers had performed top-rank and the students had all known by the end of the day exactly what Mastery entitled, and were actually excited about the extra tutoring they had been hand-picked for. The Defense Master froze when he realized he wasn't alone. In his living area sat all of his friends, including half of the Weasley clan, Draco, and Hermione.

"Harry, this is an intervention," Draco said calmly. "Come sit down."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I plan to, Dray, as these are _my_ quarters. What the hell do I need an intervention for, anyway?"

"We're worried about you, Harry," Ginny spoke softly.

"You need to own up, Little Brother," Fred added.

"You need to _grow _up," Hermione bit out.

Harry gave them each a glare. "I suppose feigning ignorance will get me nowhere?" They all shook their heads, except Ron who was sitting on the couch looking bored. "Look, I love you all, but you're being stupid. Snape is my friend, alright? Isn't it just a bit cliché for the Wizarding Savior to fall for the rough and jaded spy?"

"But, Harry, we've all seen it!" Hermione exclaimed angrily. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?"

Harry stood up in frustration. "Because it's got no bearing! Snape. Is. My. Friend. Nothing more, and nothing less, and anything else you guys imagine is between us is just that: your imagination."

Finally, Ron spoke. "Then say it out loud, what we all want to hear. Tell us that you _are_ in love with him, and either you'll figure out that you actually are in love with him, or you can then tell us that it's still not true and we'll drop it forever. Can everyone agree to that?"

The group gave a collective nod, looking around to be sure everyone agreed. Harry rubbed his forehead tiredly. "That is the stupidest…There is no point in my saying it, and thus I refuse. But feel free to keep your end." His friends glared at him defiantly. "Look, I'm not saying that just to make you happy, because those words should be reserved for…whoever I do fall in love with. It's not true, and I won't pretend that it is just to get you guys off my back, not even for the second it would take to utter those words. Besides, ten to one, I say it out loud and at least half of you decide that I had some sort of inflection to my voice and continue to pester me anyway. Feel free to leave. If you stay, then do not destroy my apartments, and keep the noise level down, because I am going to bed." That said, he stood up and left his friends for his bedroom, shouts of dismay and argument following him in before he closed the door and warded it.

SSHP

The next few weeks were spent avoiding his closest friends as Harry was hounded day after day to say aloud what he wouldn't even admit in his head. The students seemed to pick up on the growing tension between Harry and more than half of their professor's, because they began aiding him in his avoidance, even going so far as to behave properly for their last week of school so as not to draw attention to themselves. Unfortunately, avoiding them barely worked, as his friends always seemed to reach him nearly daily, demanding that he say "it" aloud.

Finally, the last staff meeting of the term came around, the students having departed the day before. Harry walked into the staff room cautiously, praying that one of the other professor's was already there so that his friends, who he knew had been waiting for him, would keep their silence. No such luck; Draco, Ginny, and Hermione sat at the staff table expectantly.

As soon as he entered, the three of them jumped up and came over to him, halting his progress halfway across the room. "Harry, why won't you just say it?" Ginny demanded.

"I told you before, it'd be a waste of breath," Harry growled. They were really starting to piss him off with how persistent they'd become.

"Just say it, Harry. Even if you're right and we think we hear something, then we'll ignore it and acknowledge that it's your decision," Hermione reasoned.

"It _is_ my decision."

"Then say it," Draco insisted.

"Yeah, Harry, say it."

Harry was growing severely uncomfortable and frustrated with how close they had gotten in their effort to get him to speak up. He threw his arms up, forcing them to back off. "Alright, fine!" He started to turn, to retreat from the room until he was sure the other professors had arrived. "I am in love with Severus-" He ran into a solid chest as he finished his turn and groaned as he heard a high-five occur behind him. "Snape." He refused to look up at the coal black eyes, uncertain of the emotion he'd find there, but pretty sure it was something along the lines of anger, or disgust.

Suddenly, cool lips brushed his cheek. "I had thought you might never admit it, no matter how much I convinced your friends to pester you."

The Defense Master's eyes shot open and he looked up into the Slytherin's eyes. "You mean this whole time, you-This whole fucking time you knew and didn't say anything?!"

"I'm a Slytherin, Harry; you didn't expect me to make it easy, did you? I certainly wasn't going to say it first, what if I had been wrong?" Snape smirked.

Harry scowled and raised his hand to give the man a well-deserved slap. "You bastard, they've been torturing me for weeks! You should have just said!" His wrist was grabbed before his hand made contact, and his arm was forced behind his back. He tried with the other hand, only to have it join its twin. The move had forced them nearly flush together, and their breath mingled as Snape leaned his face closer to Harry's.

"I'm saying it now, if you'll let me, Brat." Snape murmured. He ghosted his lips over Harry's forehead, before looking him in the eye, their lips nearly touching. "I love you, Harry Potter."

Harry tried to keep his scowl firmly in place, remaining stubbornly silent as Snape stared at him expectantly. He pursed his lips so tightly that they burned with the pressure when Snape raised an eyebrow patiently. Finally, he gave in and let out his breath in a soft sigh. "For better or worse, I love you, too, Git." When Snape finally kissed him, he felt like his chest might explode with the love and passion residing there, and had to wonder what had kept him from saying so sooner.


	3. Most Befuddling Thing

Albus chuckled from his hiding place in an alcove as he watched Severus try once more to dodge one of Harry's many attempts to get him out of the castle. Despite Minerva's insistence that the Headmaster seemed all knowing, he had no idea just how long the young Defense Master had been hounding the Potions Master, but could guess that it was probably about as long as Snape had been resisting the idea. Albus had first noticed the befuddling turn of events a little over a week ago, and had since been watching the pair with growing fascination. At some point, he realized, he would have to step in, as the two of them could be just as stubborn as anything, and in fact seemed to be using one another's stubbornness to fuel their own.

"Potter, I haven't got time to go out. Why do you keep insisting?"

"Why do you keep _re_sisting, Snape?" Harry countered, smirking. "I've offered my assistance, as has Draco. We both know you have the option for free time, the question is why you won't take it."

"Because if I were to _get_ some time to myself, I'd want to use it for precisely that, not gallivanting in the streets with a Wizarding Savior hopped up on spirits and his own vanity!" Severus snarled. "So until you've given up this foolish idea of the two of us ever going out to 'get drinks', I will continue to forfeit my time so that I have a legitimate reason not to attend you!"

Harry looked unfazed by the hurtful words. "Well, if those are your concerns, than we can go for coffee instead, and go to the Hog's Head to avoid any unwanted attention. Aberforth has always been very helpful in keeping me away from the media when I desired it, and I don't imagine he'd have any trouble doing so again. I'll even order decaf so you can't claim caffeine abuse against me."

Albus was surprised at the young man's resourcefulness, and from the way Severus was pinching the bridge of his nose it would seem the boy had made a habit of negating the Potion Master's arguments. "Potter, I said 'no' and will not change my mind simply because you bat your eyelashes at me. Now leave me be, some of us actually have _work_."

Albus ducked back further into the alcove as the irate Potions Master stormed down the hall. He looked back down the hall to where Harry was watching the other man go, and was somewhat taken aback at the predatory grin he saw there. Oh, the young Defense Master would not be giving up so soon.

Two weeks later saw Albus observing almost the exact same argument between the two men, and he was growing agitated at his Potions Master's refusal to even consider it. It was obvious the boy was not merely looking for drinks, but something more. The old headmaster had felt foolish when he finally realized that Harry was very much infatuated with the former Death Eater, and that he was, in fact, asking for quite a bit more than simply a date. The clues had been in the underlying tension behind certain words, and that they never truly specified a time, nor did Harry ever ask for a specific day. Funnily enough, despite Severus outright refusal to go with the boy on any day in particular, he never made any effort in preempting the question by outright rejecting _Harry_. That was, until today.

"Potter, I've had quite enough of this nonsense!" The Potions Master seethed. "I don't know where you got this ludicrous idea that you and I could go out together, but I have reached my limit for insanity. It is _never_ going to happen! You are an obnoxious, scrawny, waste of space and I ask that if you insist on making a fool of yourself as you have for the last several weeks, then from here on, you leave me _out_ of it! So long as I live, I shall never 'just go out for drinks' with you! Now leave me be!" The last sentence was shouted so that it echoed in the empty corridor, and Albus felt his own heart break slightly at the utterly crestfallen look on Harry's face, even has the old man smiled inwardly at seeing the lines of regret on the Potion Master's face.

"I see," The Defense Master murmured, refusing to look away from Severus' deep gaze. "Well, alright then. If that is your opinion on the matter, then I apologize for wasting your time. I will inform Draco that it will again be just the two of us this evening."

This seemed to catch the Potions Master off-guard. "Draco?"

"Yes, he has been ever so supportive in this pursuit of mine, and since you and I have never been on particularly good terms, he suggested from the beginning that he be there, since he knows us both well enough to, as he put it, 'keep that awkward nonsense away and conversation flowing freely'," Potter explained calmly, his face still a mask of hurt even as his voice never wavered. "However, since you've refused me at every turn, we've ended up having what amounts to a standing date every Saturday. I can only hope that this last refusal won't keep me and him from meeting again in the weeks to come, as I've grown quite fond of mine and Draco's evenings together. Again, Severus, I apologize for having wasted your time, and having been so over-zealous in my pursuit of creating a brighter future for the both of us; I promise you, it won't happen again."

This time, it was the younger wizard who walked off down the corridor, visibly upset. Albus frowned…perhaps he should check on Potter at the Hog's Head tonight, the boy had seen much rejection in his short life, and this last may be enough to make him give up entirely on ever finding someone. Resolved to make sure his young protege did not spend the night wallowing in his rejection, Albus vanished back to his office to contact Aberforth about his coming covert visit.

Albus had been watching the young man at the bar, utterly alone except for an untouched drink, for near on ten minutes, and had almost decided to join him when the door to the Hogs Head opened to admit another customer.

"Ah, good evening, Professor Snape, haven't seen you in a while. Your usual table?"

Albus looked up at the dour man and saw that his hair was clean of its usual protective oils, pulled back in a loose pony tied with a leather thong, and that he was wearing a Muggle buttoned-down business-casual look that Albus hadn't seen since…well, since he'd last seen the man truly relax. The Headmaster frowned at this discombobulating turn of events.

"No, Aberforth, I believe I have other arrangements tonight," Severus said smoothly. If Albus hadn't been listening for it, he'd have missed the almost nonexistent nervousness to the man's tone. He watched in fascination as the Potions Master made his way over to the bar and took up the stool beside Harry's. Neither man spoke for a time, giving Albus ample opportunity to pull out his own personal pair of Extendable Ears.

"I spoke with Draco earlier, he said he wouldn't be able to join you tonight," Severus stated hesitantly.

"I'm aware."

"Are the two of you-"

"Just friends." Harry interrupted, taking a small sip from his drink.

"I see," Severus murmured cautiously. "P-Harry, I wish to apologize for my earlier insults to your person. I allowed my frustrations to rule my better judgement."

"It's alright, Severus, I understand," The Defense Master turned his head to look at his companion. "You're careful about who you let close…it's one of the things I admire about you, maybe because I never had that option. I've always been trapped in the public's eye, and since I was raised to believe myself unimportant, I miss the privacy I once enjoyed."

"Then why, in every instance, have you consistently asked me to attend you in public, if you know my preferences lie against it?" Severus asked.

Harry smirked sadly. "Because we _both_ know that you would never have let me enter your chambers without some reason to trust me, and would have agreed to coming round to mine as easily as you have to coming here. I had to do something to get your attention, though I had little faith it would work. I'd assumed that at some point you'd get frustrated and agree to come merely to shut me up."

"That seems entirely illogical, especially as I wound up insulting you instead," Severus argued.

Harry smirked, turning on the stool to face the man completely. "You're here aren't you?"

Severus furrowed his brow. "You knew Draco wouldn't be here tonight." He said. It wasn't a question.

"So did you." Harry told him simply. "You came anyway."

Severus seemed to fight internally, anger and pride warring within him. Finally, pride emerged victorious in the form of a soft smile. "You cheated."

"There are no rules in this game, Severus."

"Harry, you're young." Severus told him, his face a picture of masked pain as he fought his own will.

"You're stalling." The Defense Master bit back playfully.

Albus could almost see the Potion Master's façade crack. "I'm too old to casually 'go for drinks' with someone, Potter."

Harry scooted to the edge of his stool so that there was very little space between the two men, linking the hand lying on the bar with the Potion Master's own. Albus almost felt guilty at eavesdropping on such a pivotal private moment. "Then why are you here?"

Severus surprised both Harry and Albus by taking the hand in his and kissing the knuckles lightly, his eyes never leaving the vibrant green of his companion's. "We have dinner reservations in a few moments, and I hoped I would find you here."

The Defense Master grinned. "You are a mystery unto yourself, Severus. I don't think I shall ever grow tired of it, so long as I live."

Severus smirked, standing and pulling the other professor to his feet. "I should hope that I will never give you ample opportunity to do so." They left the establishment hand-in-hand, leaving Albus to wonder at the puzzling nature of the most powerful force on earth.


End file.
